Homecoming
by Adelphrexia
Summary: Lizzie Salvatore and her brothers have returned home to Mystic Falls. This is Part 3 of The Life, Death and Afterlife of Elizabeth Salvatore. Mostly follows the events of the show starting with season 1. **Edited 12/13/18**
1. Coming Home

_May 23, 2009_

 _Mystic Falls, Virginia_

Lizzie watched from just inside the treeline as Stefan dove off Wickery Bridge. She had been following the car, curious about the human girl that somehow looked exactly like Katherine. She and Damon had returned home to Mystic Falls because Damon had some diabolical master plan that involved Katherine (who was _not_ dead apparently, much to Lizzie's disappointment) and something about a tomb... She hadn't really been paying attention. She most certainly hadn't expected Stefan to be here. This homecoming had just gotten _way_ more interesting.

What was Stefan doing, anyway? Probably saving the humans, especially the one that looked like Katherine. What had she said her name was again? She should really pay more attention. Ah well, she could just ask Damon later. Oh, Stefan was leaving, blurring off in the direction of the Boarding House. Lizzie shrugged, then turned and headed deeper into the woods. Maybe terrorizing some campers would take her mind off of Katherine's human look alike and all the possible problems she could cause for the Salvatore siblings.

 _September 7, 2009_

 _Mystic Falls High School_

Lizzie could practically feel the stares from the other students as she and Stefan walked into the school. She smirked as the whispers reached her ears. Girls, tittering about how hot Stefan was (gross) and wondering whether the boots she was wearing were really Louboutins (they were, a back-to-school present from Damon), and guys calling Stefan a pretty boy (which was hilarious) and checking out her ass. Typical teenager stuff, mostly.

"...and he plays a guitar," a girl's voice reached her ears as Stefan compelled the secretary to accept their registrations.

"You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?" A second voice. It was the Katherine lookalike.

"Pretty much," they both giggled.

The bell rang and Not-Katherine (she should really find out that girl's name) said goodbye to her friend. Lizzie heard a whispered 'please be hot' right before she and Stefan turned around, then a gasp. The girl, the "psychic" one, was gawking at Stefan. Lizzie smirked as she followed her brother out of the office. She glanced at her schedule and headed off to her first class. Maybe Stefan's newest fixation would be in a few of her classes. Hopefully she wasn't anything like Katherine. One Katherine Pierce was one too many as it was.

Lizzie was trying her best to pay attention. Really, she was, but having the teacher drone on about events she had actually _lived_ through was mind-numbing. At least she wasn't the only one being bored back to death, though Stefan _definitely_ wasn't paying attention. He was alternating between staring at Elena and pretending not to stare at Elena, the weirdo.

Lizzie had sat next to Elena in second period and found that, despite looking exactly like the demon that ruined her life, Elena was actually very nice. She reminded Lizzie of a deer, all delicate limbs and sad brown eyes, and Lizzie had felt the strangest desire to protect this girl (which was super weird and totally not something that she was telling anyone, _ever_ ). They had quickly become friends, thanks in part to sharing four classes (three of which they also shared with Stefan, which was mildly suspicious but she'd deal with that later.) Between third and fourth period a perky blonde had cornered her outside the girl's bathroom. She introduced herself as Caroline before firing off a string of questions, like who she was, her relationship with Stefan (she was a little annoying _,_ Lizzie had almost wanted to snap her neck just to shut her up) and where they were from. She introduced herself, and told Caroline that she and Stefan were twins (more believable than the truth) and they only recently moved back to Mystic Falls after moving around a lot. It was the story she, Stefan and Zach had carefully constructed that summer. She didn't mention Damon, because he didn't want anyone to know he was in town yet (probably so he could make a big entrance, the drama queen). The probing questions and ceaseless chatter aside, Lizzie found that she actually liked Caroline. She was outgoing and sweet, like a perky blonde ray of sunshine.

Mr Tanner quizzing Stefan on various historical events drew her back to the present. She smirked as her brother answered every question easily. That smug douche of a history teacher deserved to be taken down a notch or two. Elena looked impressed, too, so score another point for Stefan. He must have really been making an effort today, because he was usually a _lot_ more broody weirdo than mysterious cool guy. She wondered if Stefan was actually going to introduce himself to Elena. "Accidentally" bumping into her as she was coming out of the boy's bathroom (which was weird, but she wasn't going to dwell on it) totally did _not_ count. It was actually almost painfully cliché, and Lizzie had almost staked her brother right there for making her witness it.

Lizzie was (surprisingly enough) actually enjoying her time with Stefan. Damon was without a doubt planning to reveal his presence soon, and that meant Stefan was going to revert from almost fun back to brooding buzzkill. Of course Damon would never let things get boring, and the drama that her brothers always managed to stir up when they were anywhere near each other was always fun to watch. Of course, she'd usually side with Damon, egging him on and causing some chaos of her own along the way.

The bell rang, bringing Lizzie's focus back to the present. She packed up her things slowly as the other students rushed into the hall and Mr Tanner shouted something about the reading assignment. She jumped in surprise when she looked up to see a petite, dark-skinned girl standing in front of her desk. It was Elena and Caroline's friend Bonnie. She smiled kindly at Lizzie.

"Hey, Lizzie," she greeted. "Elena, Caroline and I were going to meet up at the Grill tonight, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us. And before you answer, it was Caroline's idea to invite you, so I'm pretty sure you don't actually have much of a choice."

Lizzie giggled. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great! Caroline said to be there at around seven, so I'll see you then."

Lizzie watched as Bonnie walked out of the classroom. She was a lot like her ancestor Emily, though clearly her powers hadn't yet fully developed. She definitely had the potential to be an extremely powerful witch. An image flashed through Lizzie's mind. Bonnie, standing in a cave surrounded by fire, hair flying wildly around her with dark veins snaking up her arms and neck as she chanted.

Lizzie shook her head to clear it. What the hell? She suddenly felt very thirsty, and she rushed out of the school, fighting back the urge to sink her fangs into the nearest person. She knew Stefan didn't have any blood with him (well, any blood that wasn't from a fuzzy woodland creature anyway) so she stopped and carefully scanned the milling students for a suitable meal. She settled on a tall, beefy-looking guy in a letter jacket not too far away. She glanced down, adjusting her lacy black tank top so it was showing off just enough cleavage to be tantalizing but not slutty. She began walking towards him, swaying her hips ever so slightly. As she approached him she smiled shyly and cleared her throat lightly.

"Excuse me," she said.

He turned his head to look at her. She could hear his heart rate increase as he swept his gaze over her.

"Hi there," he said, his eyes lingering on her exposed skin. "You're the new girl, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, her tone breathy and flirtatious. "I'm Lizzie. I was hoping someone could show me around," she pouted her lower lip slightly and fluttered her lashes. She could almost see him turn to putty in front of her.

"Well, can't have a pretty thing like you getting lost now can we? I'd love to show you around, Lizzie. I'm Josh, by the way," he held out his hand.

She took it, caressing his skin lightly. His pulse jumped higher.

"Well, _Josh_ ," she purred. "Lead the way."

He quickly said goodbye to his buddies, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"So, Lizzie," he said, grinning down at her. "What would you like to see?"

She looked directly into his eyes and smirked. "Follow me." She used a bit of compulsion for good measure.

He did as he was told, following her inside and into a secluded supply closet. She closed the door and turned to face him.

"Don't make a sound. This won't hurt at all," she compelled.

She extended her fangs and bit into his neck. She felt a rush of relief as she fed, and the blood lust subsided. Careful not to drain him too much, she pulled back and licked her lips. The bite had been clean, and there was only a small trickle of blood coming from the wound. She locked her eyes to his again.

"Clean yourself up, and forget this happened." Her eyes dilated one last time and she turned, opening the door to make sure the hallway was empty before vamp speeding away.

She decided to skip last period, which was a study hall anyway, and just go home. Hopefully Stefan wouldn't find out about her little snack. He would definitely make a bigger deal than necessary out of it. She didn't really want to try coming up with an excuse either, seeing as Stefan watched her down two blood bags that morning before they left for school.

She came to a stop when she reached the front door of the Boarding House. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The house was dark, and quiet.

"Hello," she called out. "Is anyone home? Zach?" No one responded. "Guess not."

She walked upstairs, the sound of her heels muffled by the antique rug. She noticed Damon's bedroom door slightly ajar. She walked forward slowly, and pushed the door the rest of the way open. The room was completely empty and spotless. She walked towards the huge four poster bed and sat down on the edge. The housekeeper must have been in here, the sheets were fresh and the air smelled faintly of lemon furniture polish. She slipped off her boots and tossed her jacket on the end of the bed. She flopped herself down on the pillows, and reached in her pocket for her phone. She set an alarm for five, so she would have enough time to get ready to go to the Grill after her nap. She needed one after her little "episode" (she refused to call them visions, because that was just ridiculous) that afternoon. Setting her phone aside, she closed her eyes and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Reunion

_September 8, 2009_

Lizzie was too tired for this. Caroline had insisted that Stefan come to the back to school party at the falls, and he had dragged her along with him for whatever reason. She couldn't tell him that she was too tired, because that would mean telling him about the episodes she'd been having more and more frequently. So here she was, surrounded by drunk teenagers and trying to ignore Bonnie and Elena talking about how pretty Stefan was. The cheap beer wasn't doing a thing to take the edge off the unusually strong blood lust either. She had drained four whole blood bags before coming to the party, and it had only barely sated her.

"Okay, I'm gonna get a refill," Bonnie said. Lizzie turned her attention back to her friends.

"I'll go with you," she said, falling into step beside the witch. "I need to find something a little stronger than this." She drained her cup and grimaced.

She could hear Elena protest, only to be immediately distracted by Stefan. They walked off together, talking. Lizzie turned her head to look at Bonnie, who looked a little freaked out.

"Hey, Bonnie," Lizzie said. "Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost or something."

Bonnie laughed nervously. "No, no ghosts. When I touched Elena's hand just now, I swear I saw a crow, and fog, and a man... Oh God, I sound like my Grams. Drunk rambling about omens and whatever. You must think I'm nuts."

Lizzie laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, I would never think such a thing. I do think, however, that we need drinks that are not lukewarm light beer."

"Agreed. I think I see some bottles on that table over there," Bonnie stopped walking. "It's really crowded over there though. Tell you what, you wait here and I'll get our drinks."

"Okay," Lizzie replied, relieved that she didn't have to fight her way through a crowd of people who were looking more and more appetizing by the second. "Just grab me a bottle of whatever."

Bonnie nodded and squeezed her way through the crowd. All of a sudden, a scream echoed out of the woods to her left. A second later, she saw Elena's brother Jeremy burst out of the trees carrying a limp body, yelling for help. Lizzie could smell blood, a lot of it, and it took all of her self control to not vamp out right there. She watched as Jeremy laid the unconscious girl out on one of the tables. It was the waitress from the Grill, Vickie. There was a large bite wound on her neck and she was covered in blood. Definitely a vampire. She heard a loud caw and looked up to see a large crow staring at her. She sighed inwardly. Damon.

Lizzie looked across the table at Caroline. She was a wreck, having drank way too much after Stefan's rejection at the party. Bonnie thought it would be best to sober her up before bringing her home, so they had stopped at the Grill for coffee. Caroline looked past Lizzie and suddenly smiled. Lizzie turned and looked behind her and rolled her eyes when she saw who her friend was flirting with. Damon was standing a few tables away, smirking. Lizzie narrowed her eyes at him and subtly shook her head. There was no way she was letting him turn her new friend into his plaything. He seemed to get the message, but instead of leaving walked to their table.

"There you are," Damon said, feigning worry. He sat down beside Lizzie. "I heard about what happened at the party. Are you okay?"

"You know him?" Caroline asked incredulously, eyes darting between her and Damon

Lizzie sighed. "I'm fine. And yes, Caroline, this is my older brother, Damon. Damon, this is-"

"Caroline Forbes," the blonde cut her off.

"It's nice to meet you Caroline," Damon said with a flirtatious smirk. Lizzie glared at him.

"Well," Lizzie interjected, "We should get going. I'll talk to you later Caroline." She dragged Damon by the elbow out to his car. When they got there, she turned and punched him on the shoulder.

"Ow," Damon complained. "What was that for?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lizzie growled.

"Just having some fun. Has all this time with Stefan made you forget what fun is?"

"Well, have fun with someone else. Caroline is my friend, Damon. She's not some floozy for you to play with!"

" _Caroline_ is also a founding family member. With the added bonus of being one of Elena's best friends."

"So? Why does it matter if she's a founding family member?"

"I need a way into the Founder's Ball."

"We're founding family members, idiot. You don't need to mess with a teenage girl to get invited. Please Damon," she pouted, eyes wide.

Damon narrowed his eyes at her for a second. "Fine," he sighed in defeat. "I'll leave Caroline alone."

She grinned. Damon never could say no to her when she pouted. "Can I drive?" she asked.

He sighed again before handing her the keys. "You're a brat, you know that?" he teased.

She laughed and started the car. "I know," she flashed him a smile. He glared back. "Aren't you getting in?" she asked.

"Nope," he smirked. "Can't have Stefan or Zach seeing me quite yet. I need to make and entrance." He vamp sped away.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Drama queen," she muttered, putting the car in gear and driving back to the Boarding House.

When she got home, she noticed Stefan wasn't back yet. She walked silently up the stairs and went straight to his room. She saw his journal laying on his bed. Picking it up, she flopped down on the bed and opened to the latest entry. She giggled as she read. Stefan may be as exciting as lukewarm oatmeal but at least his vocabulary was creative. She was so busy laughing at her brother's angst, she didn't hear him come in the room. .

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, looking irritated.

"Reading your journal. You know, it's not bad. I really like your use of-" he snatched the journal out of her hands. "-Adjectives." She grinned at him.

"What are you even doing in here?"

"Waiting for you of course. Can't I come hang out with my big brother?"

"Lizzie-" he was interrupted by a loud cawing from the windowsill. He looked over at the large crow. "Damon."

"Hello, brother." Damon's voice came from the balcony.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan's voice was tense.

"Wait until you see what he can do with the fog," Lizzie piped up from her spot on the bed.

"When'd you get here?" Stefan asked.

"Well I couldn't miss your guys' first day at school. Your hair's different. I like it."

Stefan turned his head to look at Lizzie. "Did you know he was here?"

She scoffed. "Of course I did, dummy."

"It's been fifteen years, Damon." Stefan frowned and turned back to their brother.

"Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the nineties," Damon replied.

"Yeah, that awful grunge look? Did not suit you," Lizzie got up and stood next to Damon. "Remember Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads." She smirked at him.

Stefan continued to glare at Damon. "Why are you here? Both of you?"

"We missed our brother," Damon replied.

"You guys hate small towns. It's boring, there's nothing for you to do."

"We've managed to keep ourselves busy," Lizzie said.

"You know, you left that girl alive tonight," Stefan's gaze darted to Lizzie.

She pointed to Damon. "That was all him," she said defensively.

He glared back at Damon who just shrugged. "Ah. That could be a problem... for you."

"Why are you here now?" Stefan was getting angrier by the second.

Stefan looked at Lizzie. She shrugged. "I'm mostly here for the drama," she grinned. "Besides, I couldn't let Damon have all the fun, could I?"

"You know, Elena... she took my breath away," Damon smirked. "She's a dead ringer for Katherine."

"She's not Katherine, Damon." Stefan growled.

"Thank God," Lizzie interjected. "We all know how _that_ ended." She shuddered. "Tell me Stef, when was the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

"No, I know what you're doing. It won't work." He was visibly struggling to keep his cool.

"No? Come on, we'll all go together. I saw some girls outside..." Damon started shoving Stefan lightly.

"Stop it," his jaw was clenched so tightly Lizzie thought his teeth were going to break.

"Or, why don't we just go straight for Elena," Lizzie prodded. "You thought about it, I know you have."

"Stop!"

"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Dark veins erupted blow Stefan's eyes as his fangs elongated. "I can."

Stefan growled and launched himself at Damon. They crashed through the window. She laughed in delight before jumping out behind them. She landed gracefully on the pavement and clapped slowly.

"Not bad, I'll give you a six out of ten. The whole... face thing was a nice touch, but you didn't quite stick the landing." Stefan just glared up at her.

Damon appeared beside her. "I was definitely surprised. It was very good."

"This is all just fun and games to you two, isn't it?" Stefan staggered to his feet. "But everywhere you go, people die."

"Well, duh," Lizzie rolled her eyes. "That's a given, Stef."

"Not here, I won't allow it."

She just looked at him, brows raised. "Oh? And who's going to stop us, huh? You?" She laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"Please Damon, after all these years can't we just give it a rest?"

"I promised you an eternity of misery, and I'm going to make good on that," Damon replied darkly.

"Just please, stay away from Elena," Stefan looked desperate.

"Where's your ring Stef?" Lizzie asked, "You know, the sun will be up in a couple hours and... poof." Stefan looked at his hand, panicked.

"Relax, it's right here." Damon held out Stefan's daylight ring.

As soon as Stefan grabbed his ring, Damon took him by the throat and threw him against the garage. Lizzie sped over to stand over him and roughly placed her foot on his neck, pinning him to the ground.

"You should know better than to think you're stronger than either of us, Stef. You gave that up when you stopped drinking human blood," she said.

A rustling sound came from the house and a light turned on. "I think we woke Zach up," Damon said.

"Sorry Zach," Damon called out as he strode back toward the front door. Lizzie lifted her foot from Stefan's neck and followed.

 **Author's notes:**

Lizzie and Damon are ganging up on poor Stefan :( And I saved Caroline from Damon's evil clutches! I was really disappointed with what went down between them in the show, and I wanted Damon to be a little more human in this than he is at the beginning of the show.

There was some insight into Lizzie's "gift" in the last chapter. She doesn't know much about her own abilities still, and discovering the extent of those abilities and how she got them will be a big part of the story.


	3. Family Ties

_September 24, 2009_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Lizzie groaned in frustration before ripping the pins from her hair for what felt like the thousandth time. One would think that after nearly a century and a half she'd be an expert at styling her own hair, but nope. She honestly didn't know why she even bothered trying anymore. She checked the time, luckily she still had plenty of time before her date was supposed to pick her up. Tonight was the Founder's Ball, and with the amount of trouble she and Damon had gone through to keep it from being canceled, she figured it must be important to Damon's Master Plan somehow. She had a very bad feeling about the whole thing, and besides, anything involving Katherine could only end in disaster.

Speaking of her brother, she left her room in search of him. Maybe he would do her hair for her. She heard conversation coming from Stefan's room, and found both of her brothers talking, Stefan holding a glass of Scotch. She sped forward, appearing at Damon's side. They both snickered as Stefan jumped in surprise.

"Wow, Stef. That bunny diet is really dulling you down huh?" She smirked at him. "You know, super senses are one of the best parts of being a vampire in the first place. Along with the obvious perk of never aging."

Damon nodded. "It's cool not growing old. I like being the eternal stud."

Stefan rolled his eyes at them. "Yes, because 150-year old teenager has been the height of my happiness," he said sarcastically.

"Did Stefan just make a joke?" Lizzie gasped in faux surprise. "Damon, I think we should have a drink to celebrate." She poured two glasses of Scotch and handed one to Damon.

Damon raised his glass for a toast. "1864. You and Katherine were the perfect couple. It was hell watching you dance with her."

"My happiness was short-lived, as you well know." Stefan's frown deepened.

"Of course it was. Seeing as she ended up spending the night with Damon afterwards," Lizzie commented, smirking. "Oh, well. Here's to history repeating itself."

She raised her glass to her lips and sniffed. The scent of vervain stung her nose. She glanced over at Damon. He noticed too. They dumped their drinks on the floor simultaneously.

"I admire the effort, Stefan. Pouring yourself a drink and spiking the bottle with vervain." Damon said, keeping his voice even.

"Did you really think you could roofie us like some drunk sorority chicks?" Lizzie narrowed her eyes at her brother. "I thought we were all having a moment. Now, my feelings are hurt. Let's hope I don't end up throwing a world-class tantrum at the party tonight."

"And now I'll be going to the party angry. Who knows what I'll do," Damon shrugged, and turned to leave.

As soon as he was out of the room, Lizzie sped forward and grabbed Stefan by the throat. She pinned him to the wall several inches off the floor.

"If you ever try something like that again, _brother_ , I will make sure you regret it," She snarled. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," he gasped.

She let go and he dropped to the floor. Turning to leave, she spotted Zach by the door. A cruel smile formed on her lips.

"That goes for you too, Zach," she said. "I know you gave him the vervain." She stopped a few inches away from him. "And I know you have more too," she said in a deadly whisper. "So this is the only warning you're going to get. You may be family, but I will not hesitate to kill you if you get in my way." Zach gulped nervously. She breezed past him to continue getting ready for the party.

Lizzie slipped into her dress and shoes quickly before heading down the hall to Damon's room. She heard his shower running, so she poured herself a glass of bourbon from his private stash while she waited.

The shower shut off. "Damon, can you do my hair for the party?" She called out so he knew not to come out of the bathroom naked.

"Yeah, sure. Just give me a minute," Damon said.

About five minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. He raised a brow when he saw how she was dressed.

"And just where do you think you're going dressed like that?" He said, gesturing to the strapless silver mini dress she had on.

"Um, the Founder's Party?" Was he for real right now?

He shook his head. "No, you are absolutely not. Go change," he said sternly.

"I'm sorry, but who made you the boss of me?" She asked incredulously.

"I did," he said smugly. "And I say you're not leaving this house wearing that dress."

"What's wrong with this dress? I think it looks nice," she said petulantly.

"Well I think it's too short. Now, go change and I will do your hair for you."

Huffing petulantly, she turned and stomped down the hall back to her room. She pulled a different dress from her closet and changed into it. The dress was white with red lace overlaying the bodice and a-line skirt, and had a little red bow around the waist. The hemline stopped just above her knees, so she figured her overprotective brother would find it more appropriate. She then made her way back to Damon's room.

"Better?" She asked sarcastically.

Damon downed his glass of bourbon and nodded. "The attitude needs work." he smirked. "But yes."

"You know, you're being awful judgmental towards the person who got you a date to the Founder's Ball," she said as he began braiding her hair. She had compelled Caroline into asking him to be her date after making him swear that he wouldn't hurt her friend.

"I could have compelled her just as easily you know," he sighed. "By the way, who are you going with anyway?"

"If I tell you, are you going to kill him like all my last dates?" She had lost count of how many of her boyfriends Damon had killed over the years. "'Cause that's really annoying."

She could practically hear his eyes roll. "No, I'm not going to kill him. Not anytime soon anyway. Can't have more bodies piling up right after going through all that trouble to cover our tracks. I'm just curious."

" _Our_ tracks? I'm not the one who murdered the damn football coach _on school property_ right before a football game!" She scoffed.

"No, but the mountain lion story also conveniently explains all those mangled campers you left in the woods over the summer. Which you never thanked me for, by the way." He gently turned her head to the side and started carefully pinning her hair in place. "Now, come on, spill."

She sighed. "A boy from school. His name is Joshua Fell and his parents are on the Council. I have him under compulsion," she giggled. "He's basically my lapdog."

Damon laughed. "That's my girl. All right, I'm done," she turned and looked into the mirror. He had styled her hair into a low braided chignon, leaving a few dark curls loose to frame her face.

"Perfect! Thank you," she gave him a quick hug. "Shouldn't you go pick up Caroline now?"

"Is your date picking you up here?" he asked.

"Yeah, he should be here in about..." she checked the time. "Ten minutes."

"Then yes, I should go. I'm sure Caroline would freak out if I was late," he replied, smoothing his shirt. "I'll see you there."

Lizzie sipped her champagne slowly as she surveyed the room. She found Caroline, Elena, and both of her brothers by one of the town's historical displays. When she walked in the room, Elena was reading the registry from the first Founder's Ball.

"Look at all these familiar names. Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvatore? And Stefan and Elizabeth Salvatore?" There was a hint of surprise in Elena's voice.

"Our ancestors," Lizzie spoke up. "The original Salvatore siblings. Tragic story, really."

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past," Stefan said, frowning.

"It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family," Elena said.

"Well I'm bored. I want to dance. and Damon won't dance with me," Caroline whined. "Elena, can I borrow your date?"

"Oh, um.." Elena stammered.

"I don't really dance," Stefan said awkwardly.

"Sure he does," Lizzie chimed in. "You should see him. Waltz, jitterbug, moonwalk... He does it all."

"It's up to Stefan," Elena said.

"Well I'm not going to take no for an answer. Come on Stefan." Caroline dragged Stefan out onto the dance floor.

Damon turned to Elena. "I wanted to apologize for being a world-class jerk the other day when I tried to kiss you. There are no excuses."

"His therapist says he's acting out, trying to punish Stefan." Lizzie said, ignoring Damon's glare.

"For what?" Elena asked.

"It's all in the past. I don't want to bring it up. Let's just say the Salvatore men have a tendency towards sibling rivalry." Elena nodded.

"The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town. Until the war. There was a battle here..." Lizzie chimed in.

"The battle of Willow Creek," Elena said.

"Right." Damon added.

"I know, we talked about it in class. Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside."

"That's not the whole story, though. The people in the church were thought to be Union sympathizers. They were rounded up and burned alive inside the church. Stefan and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church. When they tried to rescue them they were both shot. Murdered in cold blood," Damon recited solemnly.

"Who was it they were trying to save?" Elena asked, her eyes wide and curious.

"A woman," Lizzie answered. "Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?" She shook her head. "According to our family's records, poor Elizabeth was the only Salvatore who survived that night. Only to die three years later from consumption." It felt a little odd to be talking about herself this way.

"Oh, wow. That's horrible," Elena said. She turned to Damon. "Look I'm sorry that you and Stefan have this thing between you, but I can't get in the middle of it, Damon. I just...I hope you two can work it out."

Damon nodded. "I hope so too."

The three of them went out to the patio to meet Stefan and Caroline.

"What are you guys talking about?" Lizzie asked as they approached.

"We were just chatting. Drink?" Stefan offered Lizzie and Damon each a glass of champagne.

Remembering the incident from earlier, Lizzie shook her head. "No thank you Stef," she politely declined.

"Stefan, do you have another dance in you?" Elena asked.

"Absolutely." Stefan let Elena lead him onto the dance floor.

Damon looked over at Lizzie. "Where's your date, by the way?"

"I'm not sure. I told him to go mingle with the other guests just after we got here," she replied. He had been boring anyway.

Caroline was gazing dreamily at Stefan and Elena. "They make such a cute couple," she sighed.

Don't talk," Damon snapped.

"Damon, be nice," Lizzie chided. "But seriously, Care. Shush."

Caroline followed Lizzie and Damon as they quietly made their way upstairs. "Where are you going Damon," she demanded. "Your brother barely danced with me for five minutes."

Damon glanced up from the display he was studying at her. "Ah, you're here. Stand..." he moved her to the right a few inches. "There." He turned and began going through one of the display boxes.

"You're not supposed to touch," Caroline said. Damon ignored her.

Finally he turned, holding something in his hand. Lizzie gasped when she saw what it was. Emily Bennett's crystal.

"What is that?" Caroline asked.

"A very important crystal," Damon replied, not even glancing at her.

"Did you hide that here, Damon?" Lizzie asked apprehensively.

"Yep," he replied, popping the "p".

Caroline looked at them quizzically. "When did you do that?" She asked.

"A long time ago. Now, I'm getting it back. Thanks to you."

"What's it for?" God, that girl was nosy.

"Never you mind," Damon replied simply.

"Well, you can't just steal it," Caroline insisted.

"It's not stealing if it's mine, now is it?" He put the crystal in his pocket. "Come on, let's go." They walked back downstairs.

When they reached the lawn, Lizzie turned to Caroline. She noticed the champagne glass still in her hand. She felt a gnawing suspicion in her gut."Hey, Care, can I see your glass for a second?"

Caroline shrugged and handed her the glass. "Here, I don't want my mom to see me with it anyway. Speaking of, I should go find her." She turned and walked back into the house.

Lizzie lifted the glass to her nose and sniffed. Immediately she recoiled, the smell of vervain burning her nose. She looked up to see Stefan coming out of the house towards her and Damon. Rage boiled up in her.

"Are you stupid or something Stef?" She growled.

Damon looked at her curiously. She handed him the champagne glass. He sniffed it, recoiling as he smelled the vervain.

"Didn't I warn you, Stefan?" She narrowed her eyes at him. Before he could even blink, she sped forward and snapped his neck. His body hit the ground with a dull thud. She bent down and searched his pockets, and found a syringe full of vervain.

"Looks like our dear brother was planning on drugging us again," Damon said.

"I did warn him. Come on, let's get him back to the house."

When they got back to the Boarding House, Damon took Stefan's still unconscious body into the cell in the basement. Meanwhile, Lizzie strode into the living room and poured herself some bourbon.

"Oh Zach," she called out, keeping her tone light.

He came down the stairs, eyeing her wearily. "What do you want," he said shakily.

"Remember the little talk we had earlier today, about the vervain and not getting in my way?" She glared at him coldly. He gulped. "Well, it seems that you and Stefan both need to work on your listening skills."

She sped forward and placed her hands on either side of his head. "Be thankful, Zach. Stefan's getting a long, painful time out in the basement. You on the other hand, you're getting off easy." With a flick of her wrists, she snapped his neck and dropped his body on the floor. Tutting softly, she turned and walked toward the basement stairs, retrieving her drink on her way by.

"Oh, Stefan," she sighed to herself. "Look what you made me do."


End file.
